Protecting Network Ports in Office Spaces: Recommendations for Cisco Solutions

Best Practices for Securing Network Ports Outside IT Closets

Question

What are two recommendations for protecting network ports from being exploited when located in an office space outside of an IT closet? (Choose two.)

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D. E.

DE.

The two recommendations for protecting network ports from being exploited when located in an office space outside of an IT closet are:

  1. Implement port-based authentication: Port-based authentication ensures that only authorized devices can connect to the network through specific ports. This can be accomplished using protocols such as IEEE 802.1X, which requires devices to provide valid credentials before being granted access to the network. By implementing port-based authentication, organizations can prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to the network and accessing sensitive information.

  2. Shut down unused ports: Shutting down unused ports is an effective way to prevent unauthorized access to the network. When a port is not in use, it should be disabled to prevent unauthorized devices from connecting to the network through that port. This can be accomplished by using features such as port security or by simply disabling the port. By shutting down unused ports, organizations can reduce the attack surface of the network and prevent unauthorized access.

Explanation of the other options:

A. Enabling the PortFast feature on ports: PortFast is a Cisco feature that is used to speed up the spanning tree protocol (STP) process. It allows a port to bypass the listening and learning phases of STP and go directly to forwarding mode. While PortFast can improve network performance, it does not provide any security benefits.

B. Configuring static ARP entries: ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) is used to map a device's IP address to its MAC address. Static ARP entries can be configured to ensure that the ARP table on a device only contains authorized MAC addresses. While this can improve security, it is not an effective way to protect network ports from being exploited.

C. Configuring ports to a fixed speed: Configuring ports to a fixed speed can improve network performance by reducing the time it takes for data to be transmitted. However, it does not provide any security benefits.

In conclusion, implementing port-based authentication and shutting down unused ports are the two recommendations for protecting network ports from being exploited when located in an office space outside of an IT closet.